HC sets up 3-member panel to ascertain stability of building

The Madras High Court has constituted a three-member committee to ascertain the stability of the over century-old P.ORR & Sons building situated on a busy road here and file a report to the court.
The committee members as appointed by Justice S Vaidyanathan on June 20 are Mohan Ramanathan, Managing Partner, Build Aids, Nadimuthu, former Chief Engineer, PWD and advocate V Parthiban.
The committee will inspect the building on 'Anna Salai' and file its report to the court on July 1.
The judge gave the direction while passing interim orders on a writ petition from the watch company, which challenged the demolition notice dated April 1 last year of the Chennai Corporation.

The petitioner submitted that the demolition of the marked portions of the building is not warranted in as much as the building is in strong and stable position.
However, the Assorted Publishers P Ltd., another occupant of the building, claimed that the structure is in a dilapidated condition, endangering the lives of occupants and passers-by due to the use of heavy machines and tunnel boring machines, which is being done by the railways for the Metro Rail project.